


To Bring Them Together

by GamerFan369



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A little bit of angst, Ferdibert Secret Santa 2020 (Fire Emblem), Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), With some help from their friends, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28519617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamerFan369/pseuds/GamerFan369
Summary: The pining between Hubert and Ferdinand was honestly just sad at this point. So, their friends decide to do something about it.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59
Collections: Ferdibert Secret Santa 2020 Edition





	To Bring Them Together

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! This is my Secret Santa gift for Lu! I hope you enjoy it!

As Dorothea entered the room, her eyes immediately fell on the pile of crumpled up pieces of paper in the center of the table. Her eyebrows rose. “Alright, now this is just starting to get sad.”

Linhardt lifted his head from where it was resting on the table. “Starting to? It’s been sad from the very beginning.”

Dorothea sighed and sat down in an empty seat. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. They aren’t verbally abusing each other, after all.”

“Fair enough.” The words got muffled as Linhardt laid his head back down.

“Linhardt does be having the point though,” Petra piped up. “It feels as though the...the...”

“Pining,” Linhardt supplied.

“Yes! The pining! It feels as though the pining has been happening for the time of ever.”

“Which is why I called all of you here today,” Edelgard spoke from the head of the table. “Something needs to be done about...this.” She gestured towards the pile of papers.

Caspar looked up from reading one of them. “I don’t know. I don’t think these letters are all that bad. A lot better than anything I could do, that’s for sure.”

“The problem isn’t the letters, it’s the fact that none of them were actually sent. Those letters are only from this past week alone.”

“Wait, there are more of these? Unsent?” Edelgard nodded. Caspar sat back with a whistle. “You’re right. This is sad.”

“That’s why I need your help. I’ve already tried to convince Hubert to just talk to Ferdinand, but he won’t.”

“Why? He has nothing to lose. Ferdinand feels the same way.”

“We know that, but Hubert refuses to believe it.”

“Can we really blame him?” Bernadetta asked. “I-I mean, it’s easier to believe that feelings are unrequited than that they’re returned.”

“Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you,” Dorothea said. “After all, for some, rejection is a possibility. However, this is not one of those circumstances. The two of them are so blinded by the idea of rejection, that they can’t even see that that possibility isn’t even on the table. And while at first it was rather cute...”

“It is beginning to get on my nerves,” Edelgard finished. “All of our nerves to be accurate.”

“Edie’s right. To see the two of them interact every day...well. I’m surprised no one has just locked them in a room yet.”

“I tried,” Edelgard said. “Hubert has the unfortunate talent of picking locks.”

Petra tilted her head. “I did not realize the people of Fódlan cared very much for the design of locks.”

“No, Petra dear. Not that kind of picking locks.”

“So, what do you want us to do about this?” Linhardt mumbled.

“About the picking of locks?” Petra asked.

“No, about Ferdinand and Hubert. I’d love for this pinning to stop as much as the rest of you, but we’re not exactly matchmakers.”

“Yeah, Lin’s got a point.” Caspar grinned. “If you want us to give them a nice punch to the face for being idiots, I’m your man. I can’t say I’m good at getting people together, though.”

“At this point, I’m desperate for any kind of help,” Edelgard said. “But besides that, you’re their friends. You want them to be happy. I say that already gives you more than enough qualification to help them out.”

“And I wouldn’t really call it matchmaking. It’s more like getting through their thick skulls and making them see how idiotic they’re being,” Dorothea added with a shrug.

Linhardt hummed. “But still. It sounds like a lot of work.”

“If you want to sit in on Ferdie’s hour long rants about Hubie’s eyes in my place, then please. Be my guest.” Dorothea’s smile was sharp.

There was a pause before Linhardt sighed. “You can be rather cruel, you know.”

“You and Caspar may not need to deal with Ferdie and Hubie as often because of all your traveling, but some of us do. And as much as we love them, we also would like them to cease with coming to us with all their romantic poetry.”

“It really is sad,” Edelgard muttered, though not unkindly. “But I assume that we’re all on the same page now? We’re going to help them?” The entire group nodded their heads in assent. “Good. So, any ideas on what we should do?”

The room was silent.

“...Are you absolutely sure locking them in the same room doesn’t work?” Linhardt asked.

“I can still give them a nice punch if you want!” Caspar called out.

Edelgard sighed. “I’ll get some tea. We’re going to be here for a while.”

* * *

All in all, Ferdinand was having a rather good day. Flowers had started blooming along the path he regularly took for his morning rides, so the view was gorgeous, his meeting with Petra about trade routes went smoothly, and he was making great progress on the pile of paperwork on his desk. So yes, all in all, it was a good day.

Currently, Ferdinand and Hubert were working in the former’s office. They had taken their tea break in there today, and after getting into a rather lengthy discussion that they very much wanted to continue, Hubert had brought his work to the room so they could talk while they worked. That was a couple hours ago now, so they were currently working in a comfortable silence, both focused intently on their work.

At least, they were until a loud crash startled them both out of their seats.

Without hesitation, Ferdinand reached for the dagger under his desk and Hubert had already pulled one from his pocket. Both held their weapons toward the door, ready to attack if necessary.

Fortunately, and to both men’s surprise, it was Edelgard who popped her head through the door, a scowl on her face. Her eyes widened a tad when she saw Hubert, but her expression was quickly schooled. “Sorry about that. Please, carry on.”

She shut the door just as quickly as she had opened it.

Ferdinand and Hubert stared at the door before looking at each other. “Do you know...?” Ferdinand questioned.

Hubert stepped forward. “Lady Edelgard, are you alright?” he called out.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Her words were muffled through the door.

At those words, Hubert slowly put his knife away and Ferdinand followed suit. “We heard a crash. Is something wrong?”

Before Edelgard could speak, another voice was heard, although neither Ferdinand nor Hubert could make out the words. They both know who it belonged to, though.

“Caspar,” Ferdinand shouted, “did you break a window again?”

“You broke a window?” That was Linhardt’s voice.

“Hey, it was in my way!”

“How can it be in your way?”

“It just was, okay!”

Sharing another look, Hubert bowed slightly and gestured towards the door. “After you,” he said, his voice holding a sarcastic edge.

A light pink dusted Ferdinand’s cheeks as he rolled his eyes. He moved from behind his desk and opened the door, eyes widening at the scene outside his office. Shards of glass were scattered across the ground, a puddle of water was quickly spreading into the nooks and crannies of the floor, there was a pile of slightly crushed flowers, and in the middle of it all was Caspar. He was on the ground, front soaking wet, and little cuts littered his arms and face, some of them beginning to bleed slightly. However, a huge grin was spread across his face, a contrast to Linhardt and Edelgard’s scowls.

“Caspar! Are you okay?” Ferdinand moved towards the man to inspect his body, looking for any cuts that may have gone a little too deep. He wasn’t any Linhardt, but he knew how to do a bit of healing magic. Speaking of Linhardt...

“He’s fine,” Lin drawled. “I already checked to see if any of the cuts were serious. None of them were.”

Ferdinand let out a small sigh of relief. “Well, that is good.” He eyed the cuts again. “Do you want me to heal those anyway?” He was honestly a bit surprised Linhardt hadn’t already done that.

“Are you kidding me? No way I’m letting you take away my battle scars!” Caspar’s eyes seemed to glow as he said that. Linhardt’s eyes rolled in response.

“Ah yes, your grand battle with the floor. Surely a momentous fight that will forever be remembered, especially since the floor won.”

“Hey! I’d say I won here! I lived, didn’t I?”

“You were hardly in any danger of dying.”

While the two continued to squabble, Ferdinand turned to Edelgard. “So, what exactly happened here?”

The emperor let out a tired sigh. “Well, the flowers were blooming, and I’d thought you’d appreciate having a vase of them in your office. Caspar was helping me carry them when he tripped and fell.”

Ferdinand felt his chest warm. “Those were for me? Thank you, Edelgard. I am so glad you thought of me.”

“Think nothing of it. I apologize for disturbing your work.”

“Oh, it is fine. It’s not like we cannot get back to it. Right, Hubert?”

Hubert, who had moved into the doorway, nodded. “Indeed.” He seemed to be eyeing one of Edelgard’s hands, which was curled into a fist. Ferdinand decided not to ask about it.

“I didn’t expect Hubert to be here,” Edelgard said.

“Oh, well.” Ferdinand found himself blushing a little at that. “We were having a conversation earlier during our break that we really wanted to continue, so Hubert moved his work into my office.”

“I see,” Edelgard looked towards Hubert, a small smile forming.

Hubert shifted and crossed his arms. “I promise you that our discussion wasn’t interfering with our work, Lady Edelgard. Both of us have gotten quite a lot done.”

“No, please, let it interrupt your work. It’s about time you took a vacation.”

“I promise to schedule one soon,” Hubert sighed.

“That’s what you said last time.”

“I will make sure he takes one, Your Majesty,” Ferdinand interrupted, a grin on his face.

Edelgard turned her gaze to him. “As if you’re any better. When’s the last time you took a vacation.”

Ferdinand swallowed and looked away. “Well, I did take the day off to ride my horse- “

“Traveling to a diplomatic meeting via horse doesn’t count.” Ferdinand pouted and Hubert let out a chuckle. Edelgard smiled at the two of them. “Again, I apologize for the interruption. You two get back to work and I’ll deal with this.”

“Are you sure you do not want us to help?” Ferdinand asked.

“No.” Edelgard glared at Caspar. “I believe Caspar can clean this up just fine on his own.”

“What?! Why do I have to do it by myself?”

“You're the one who made the mess,” Linhardt said.

“It’s not like I meant to trip!”

“But since the floor can’t clean up a mess, it seems the job goes to you anyway.”

Caspar groaned and Ferdinand shook his head in amusement before turning to Hubert. “Well, shall we continue?” Mocking his earlier gesture, Ferdinand gave a small bow and motioned towards the door. Hubert huffed and quickly turned away, ignoring the laugh Edelgard was trying to hide.

“We shall.”

Hubert gave Edelgard one last glance before walking back into Ferdinand’s office. With a wave, Ferdinand followed him.

* * *

Edelgard sighed as the door closed.

“Well,” Linhardt said, “I hope this isn’t representative of all our future efforts.”

“We all anticipated that there would be problems. I just didn’t expect our first try to fail because of Caspar tripping.”

“Hey, I said it wasn’t my fault!”

“Caspar, keep it down,” Edelgard whispered. “They can probably still hear us.”

“I’m sorry, but,” Caspar finally stood up, brushing off some of the splinters of glass still on his clothes, “I don’t think this idea was going to work anyways. They’re not that good with understanding subtle hints.”

“True, but Bernadetta did have a point. It will mean a lot more to both of them if they’re not directly forced to talk to each other.” Bernadetta’s idea had been to leave flowers on Ferdinand’s desk and pretend they were from Hubert. They hoped the gesture would have given him the confidence to confess. That idea clearly failed, though.

“I know, I know,” Caspar sighed. “So, do we try again?”

“We could, but I think Hubert’s already a bit suspicious.”

“Already?! How?”

“One, I’m not one to just go around giving flowers. And two, it’s Hubert.”

Caspar shrugged. “Fair enough. I guess we move to Plan B?”

“Obviously.” Linhardt turned to Edelgard. “I’ll go tell the others what happened.”

Edelgard nodded. “I’ll be in my office. I have a meeting I need to prepare for.”

Caspar started to walk after Linhardt, but Edelgard stopped him. “You still need to clean up the mess.”

“What?!”

“You did lose to the floor.” Edelhard smirked. “It’s only fair. Why would the victor have to clean up the mess? Also, we told you not to run.”

Caspar’s jaw dropped and Linhardt laughed. The sounds of Caspar’s sputtering as the others walked away could be heard throughout the hallway.

* * *

Two weeks (and many failed plans) later (they were up to Plan K), the group had to take a short break to prepare for a party. Trade negotiations had gone well, and Petra and her cabinet members were planning to leave the next day. In celebration, a small party was being thrown (although, “small” still meant a couple hundred people).

It was a great night for the Black Eagle Strike Force. It felt nice to take a small break and they enjoyed spending time with one another that wasn’t work related. They spent the night, talking, laughing, eating, and dancing. And speaking of dancing…

Edelgard walked up to Ferdinand, a relaxed smile on her face. The sight always brought joy to Ferdinand. It felt good to see his friend smile after everything she had been through. “Your Majesty, how are you enjoying the festivities?”

“I am having a wonderful time. And you?”

“It has been a delightful evening.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Something behind Ferdinand caught Edelgard’s attention and she sighed, smile faltering. However, she perked up a moment later and returned her gaze to Ferdinand. “Ferdinand, could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Hubert is refusing to come out of the shadows, and I was hoping you could drag him out for me. This is supposed to be a break for him, too.”

Ferdinand laughed. “I cannot promise anything, but I can try.”

Edelgard’s smile returned. “I’m sure if you asked him, he would come out. Perhaps ask him to dance or something. I believe the last time he danced was when we were children, so it would be interesting to watch. Almost nostalgic”

“Oh,” Ferdinand thought about that. “I suppose you are right. I do not think I have ever seen him dance at any of these events.”

“Well, that’s going to change tonight. Have fun.” With a nod, Edelgard moved away and made her way over to Dorothea and Petra.

Ferdinand was able to find Hubert rather easily, much to his relief. He was afraid he was going to have to hunt the man down. “Hubert!”

Hubert turned his head and nodded when he saw his friend. “Ferdinand. Are you enjoying the party?”

“Indeed I am. How about you?”

“I’m enjoying it well enough.”

“Are you sure? I have not seen you since dinner.”

“I assure you, I’m fine. I’m simply making sure everything here goes smoothly.”

“Hubert,” Ferdinand chided, “you know as well as I do that that is the last thing the Emperor wants you to be doing tonight. You should be out chatting with the others. Who knows how long it will be before we are all together again like this.”

“I have already said all I wished to say at dinner.”

“I am sure you did.” His voice was sarcastic. “So, I’m guessing that you find standing here to be more enjoyable then speaking with your friends?”

Hubert shifted uncomfortably at that. “Well-”

Ferdinand grabbed onto his wrist and started pulling him out of the shadows. Hubert’s face began to heat up at the action. “Come on. Take some time to yourself. I promise that everything will go smoothly without you keeping constant watch. We have component guards, and you know it. You wouldn’t have hired them otherwise.”

Ferdinand could tell he was winning Hubert over. “Yes, but-”

“No buts. You’re going to spend the rest of the evening with our friends.”

Looking at Ferdinand’s face, Hubert knew there was no convincing him otherwise. And besides, in the end, Hubert could never say no to the man. “Fine, fine. I’ll go be social.”

Ferdinand grinned. “Great! But before we do that, I have been given the order to have a dance with you.”

At those words, Hubert startled and nearly tripped. “Um, what?”

The Prime Minister laughed. “Lady Edelgard said to get you out of the shadows and suggested having a dance to do so.”

Hubert’s eyes narrowed. “Did she now?”

“She did. Apparently, you haven’t danced in a while, and I am guessing that was her way of saying it was high time you do. So, what do you say?” As they reached the edge of the dance floor, Ferdinand let go of Hubert’s wrist and held out his hand. “Will you do me the honor of giving me a dance?”

Hubert looked between the hand and Ferdinand’s face and Ferdinand could see his cheeks slowly getting darker. Before he could comment on it though, Hubert grabbed his hand and brought Ferdinand out to the dance floor. “I would love to.”

Ferdinand’s own blush was hidden as Hubert threw them into the dance.

* * *

“You are a rather good dancer,'' Ferdinand admitted halfway through the third song. He never thought he was bad, he just never got a chance to see his dancing, so he had no nothing to comment on. While the two were in a slightly awkward silence during the first song, by the second, they were conversing, and the atmosphere felt the same as the one surrounding them during their tea breaks. Except, of course, with dancing.

“Thank you. I was required to learn for events like this, as I’m sure you have guessed.” Ferdinand nodded. Although he loved to dance and most likely would have tried to learn anyway, he was originally taught to dance specifically for events like this. “Lady Edelgard and I actually learned together.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Hubert chuckled, a smile twitching onto his lips. “To be completely honest, we were both terrible at first. We always had multiple bruises on our feet by the end of each lesson.” Ferdinand laughed at that and Hubert’s smile grew.

“Hard to imagine you being so terrible on your feet.”

“Yes, well, we all have to start somewhere.” Hubert’s smile wavered. “To be honest, that’s one of my favorite memories from my childhood. Most of them weren’t so great, especially after, well…” Hubert trailed off before speaking up again. He was quieter this time. “It’s nice to look back on my past and laugh. I can’t do that very often.”

Ferdinand tried to convey as much sympathy as he could with his touch and eyes. “That is why it is so important that we make new memories, though. So that way when you look back on the past, there are better memories for you to remember.”

Hubert’s smile was soft. “Yes, I believe you’re right.”

They danced in silence for a while, both of them caught up in their own little world, before the song came to an end and the two startled out of their reverie, remembering where they were. They both bowed to each other, before standing awkwardly, not quite sure what to say.

Ferdinand swallowed. “Hubert, I-”

Neither of them even noticed that the next song began until a woman bumped into Ferdinand. She gasped. “Oh, I am so sorry, Prime Minister. I didn’t mean to get in your way.”

Ferdinand laughed. “The fault is all mine, Madam. Minister von Vestra and I were the ones standing in the middle of the dance floor. Please accept my sincerest apologies.”

The woman thanked Ferdinand before returning to the dance with her partner. The Prime Minister turned back to Hubert, who seemed to have composed himself. “I believe that is our cue to leave the dance floor.” Ferdinand glanced around the room and it seemed like all of their friends were busy talking with someone else. “And since our friends look occupied, would you like to continue our conversation somewhere else.”

Hubert nodded. “I would like that.”

* * *

The two did indeed talk for the rest of the evening, but no confession was made, much to the disappointment of their friends (who made sure they were busy the whole night so that Ferdinand and Hubert would stay together).

After that, the group decided to be a bit more direct.

* * *

“You two are having dinner together. Alone. Have fun.”

Before Dorothea could leave the room, a wide-eyed Ferdinand grabbed her shoulder. “Um, excuse me?”

Hubert, who had a similar look to Ferdinand, could only stare at Dorothea, then Edelgard, in shock.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like dear. You two are going to be dining alone tonight.” Dorothea’s grin was sharp.

“...May I ask why? Not that I don’t appreciate your company Hubert. I do! I love your company! But, I, why?”

Edelgard stood up from her seat. “Originally, Dorothea and I were going to dine together. We have some business to discuss involving the Mittlefrank Opera. But some papers came in that I must attend to immediately.”

“On top of that, I was just informed that our director has called for an emergency meeting. Apparently, there’s some problem with the script. We thought that we shouldn’t let the food go to waste. After all, the cooks are already preparing everything, so we decided that you two should take our place for dinner tonight.”

Ferdinand was still trying to coherently form words, while Hubert had resituated himself and was now glaring slightly at Edelgard. “Although I appreciate the thought, Your Majesty, I really do have matters I must attend to.”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “You still do your most important work first thing in the morning, correct? Everything that needs to be finished soon, you do first and foremost?”

Hubert crossed his arms. He could see where this was going. “Yes.”

“Following that logic, I assume that there are no matters that can’t wait until morning. I’m sure your work can be done tomorrow.”

“Well, I’m sure Ferdinand-”

“I found him out in the stable taking care of his horses. He only does that once he’s finished all his work, so Ferdie is currently free right now. Isn’t that right Ferdie?”

“Well, I mean, yes, but if Hubert-”

“Oh, trust me dear, he would love to share a meal with you. There’s no need to worry about that.” Both ministers’ faces reddened at the words. “Any other objections?” She didn’t let them answer. “Good! I hope you both enjoy the night!” Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, head held high.

Edelgard sighed. “I said it once, I’ll say it again. You both deserve a break. Take this time to relax and not worry about work.” She stood up. “On that note, I’ll bid you both a goodnight. Those papers aren’t going to read themselves.” With a final nod, Edelgard followed Dorothea out of the room, shutting the door gently behind her.

The ministers stared at the door before staring at each other. Hubert cleared his throat, gesturing towards the table and avoiding Ferdinand’s eyes. “Shall we?”

Ferdinand let out a strained chuckled. “Do we have a choice?”

“No, I suppose not. Unless, of course, you want Dorothea after your head.”

The redhead shivered. “I like my head, thank you very much.”

Ferdinand and Hubert sat at opposite sides of the table, both looking at anything and everything but each other. Any accidental glances resulted in both of them immediately looking away. It felt wrong being this stiff around each other. Throughout all the years they had known each other, “stiff” had never been a way they acted around each other. Anger and disdain in the early days, sure, but their relationship was never awkward.

This...this just felt wrong.

Hubert broke the silence first, not being able to stand it any longer. “So... how are the horses?”

At that, Ferdinand perked up, his eyes sparkling. “They are all doing wonderfully! I have started to take Apricot out on the trails, and she’s taking nicely to the rougher soil. She cannot go that far yet, but she will be there soon, I know it!”

As Ferdinand continued talking, Hubert sat back and felt the tightness in his chest ease. This was the way things should be. He spent the rest of the night enjoying being in the man’s company.

* * *

As much as Hubert wanted to barge right into Edelgard’s office, he held himself back and only knocked on the door. “Lady Edelgard,” he called out, voice tight, “might I have a word?”

There was a pause before Edelgard answered. “Come in, Hubert.”

Hubert didn’t waste any time. When he opened the door, his glare immediately went to Edelgard. “Could you explain what exactly _that_ was?”

Edelgard blinked. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.” Hubert only gave her a look in response, and she sighed. “I was only trying to help you.”

“You and everyone else in the Strike Force.” Edelgard wasn’t at all surprised Hubert realized what was happening. She knew he would have figured it out eventually. “While I appreciate the sentiment, Your Majesty, I would rather you didn’t interfere. My relationship with Prime Minister von Aegir involves him and me and him and me alone.”

“I would normally agree with you, but Hubert.” She opened up a draw in her desk and pulled out a stack of papers. It only took Hubert a moment to realize what they were.

“Where did you-”

“I was going to deliver you some documents when I found them in the trash. Hubert, you clearly love him, so please, just tell him.”

“No. That was my answer before, and it continues to be my answer.”

“Hubert, you may not see it, but everyone else can. Ferdinand clearly feels the same, so can’t you just take a chance and tell him? Don’t ruin your own happiness.”

“I’m not ruining it, I’m protecting it. If- _When_ he rejects me, our friendship is going to be ruined. I’m not risking what we already have.”

“Hubert-”

“But let’s say, for argument's sake, that he does reciprocate my feelings and we get together. There is no way of knowing whether we’ll last. If we got together only to end up leaving each other in the future, then what was the point of us getting together in the first place?” Hubert’s hands tightened into fists before he loosened them again, sighing. “I... I can’t lose him, Edelgard.”

Edelgard got up and put a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “You won’t lose him, Hubert. I promise you won’t. Even if he did reject you, do you think he would just up and leave you. Is that the kind of person you think Ferdinand is?”

Hubert swallowed. “No, but-”

“Then please,” Edelgard begged. “Don’t give up on this piece of happiness. You're so close to it, Hubert.”

The man was silent, not willing to meet Edelgard’s gaze. But he eventually sighed again. “I can’t. I’m sorry Edelgard, but I can’t.” Hubert chuckled. “I’m a coward.”

Edelgard grabbed his face and made him face her. “Hubert von Vestra, you are one of the bravest men I know, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even yourself.”

Hubert smiled. “As you wish, Lady Edelgard.”

Edelgard smiled back. “Good. Now, if you’re so adamant on your choice, let’s move onto other matters, shall we? Would you like to have a drink with me?”

“I would be delighted to.”

* * *

Edelgard and the others stopped interfering with Hubert and Ferdinand’s love life after that and Hubert thought everything would go back to normal.

He should have known things were never that easy.

* * *

_Where did he go?_ Hubert wondered as he glanced into another room to see if Ferdinand got distracted talking to someone. He had asked Ferdinand if he could get some papers from his office and he had yet to come back. At the thirty-minute mark, Hubert decided he would go and look for him. He didn’t find him in any of the hallways or open rooms, so he could only conclude he was still in Hubert’s office. Why he was still there, though, Hubert wasn’t quite sure. Worry began to grow in his chest, but he quickly snuffed it out. He refused to panic before knowing for sure that something was wrong.

When Hubert got to his office, he let out a sigh of relief to see Ferdinand there, completely unharmed. That relief quickly turned to horror, though, when he saw what Ferdinand was doing.

The Prime Minister was sitting at Hubert’s desk, eyes wide as he read one letter out of a stack of them. To make things worse, it looked as though he had already read through a good chunk of them.

Hubert couldn’t tell which of his love letters had been read, but that didn’t matter. Ferdinand had seen them.

He had seen them and _read_ them.

Hubert wanted to die.

He must have let out some sort of sound because Ferdinand’s head whipped up, his eyes somehow growing even wider.

“H-Hubert!” He clutched the letter tightly against his chest. “I- I’m sorry! I didn’t mean- I opened a wrong drawer and they were just there and when I saw my name I was curious and then I read part of it and I couldn’t stop and- “

“Quiet!” Hubert hissed. The redhead shrunk back in his chair and Hubert immediately felt terrible. “I’m sorry, but I just- I need quiet for a moment.”

Ferdinand nodded and stayed silent. Hubert took that time to breathe and collect his thoughts. It wasn’t much help though, the words “He knows!” slamming into the forefront of his mind repeatedly.

“How much did you read?” Hubert eventually asked.

“Not… Not everything… But enough, I think.” Ferdinand’s blush worsened and he looked down. “Hubert, is this what I think it is?”

Hubert’s heart sank. “I-I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to- You don’t have to- I’ll take those back-”

“No!” Ferdinand jerked back, holding the letter even closer to his chest. “I want them!”

Hubert’s eyes grew wide, his pale complexion turning the same color as Ferdinand’s. “You… What?”

Ferdinand swallowed and looked down. “I realize that you never meant for me to see these. If you did, you would have given them to me, but… Do you mean it? What you said in the letters. Do you mean it?”

Part of Hubert wanted to lie. He wanted to lie and deny everything and forget this ever happened. He wanted to burn the letters, get back to work, and act like everything was normal. Things would be awkward for a bit, but this moment would soon be a distant memory for both of them and they could move on, laugh about what happened at a future time.

One look at Ferdinand though, and Hubert knew that he would never be able to do that.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I meant everything I said in those letters. Every single sentence, every single _word_ I wrote is true.”

Ferdinand stared at Hubert for a moment, and in that moment, Hubert thought of every possible thing that could go wrong. He saw their relationship crumbling right before his eyes and all he could do was watch in despair.

As with everything involving Ferdinand, the man surprised him.

“Then,” Ferdinand said, standing up. He shakily walked over to Hubert. “I really hope I didn’t take these letters the wrong way.” Reaching up his hands, Ferdinand gently grabbed the sides of Hubert’s face, pulled his head down, and kissed him.

Hubert didn’t believe in the goddess, fate, or anything of the sort. In this single moment of time, though, Hubert thanked whatever was out there for bringing this incredible man to him.

Hubert surged forward and kissed back, all his insecurities and worries being pushed to the back of his mind by the overwhelming joy he was feeling. He would fret about them later. For now, the only thing that mattered was _Ferdinand_.

The kiss was messy. Their teeth were clashing, their lips were sliding all over each other, and neither one was quite sure what to do with their hands.

It was perfect.

When the two finally split apart for air, Ferdinand grinned up at Hubert. “So, I was right in assuming what those letters meant?”

Hubert rolled his eyes and kissed him again.

* * *

Later that week, Edelgard smiled at the sight of her best friends curled up together on a couch, passed out after a late night of working. She quietly closed the door and headed to her office.

She had some letters to send to her friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed this story, Lu! I had a blast writing it! I hope you all have a great day/night, and have a Happy New Year!


End file.
